Mahou Hero
by Mana Goddess
Summary: Haruto fights the Lamia Phantom in order to save the Gate, but it turns out she is a Magiranger and can take care of herself. Can Haruto protect Houka from this Phantom, or will Houka be the one doing the saving? *Spoilers for Magirangers* Haruto x Houka
1. Chapter 1

**Mahou Hero**

**By ManaGoddess**

**Disclaimer****:** I own neither Kamen Rider Wizard nor Mahou Sentai Magirangers, they are owned by the Toei Company. This is work of pure fiction from my own imagination.

**Author's Note****:** I smile every time I hear the word 'magic' because it reminds me of Magirangers and how much they LOVED to use that word in Japanese (mahou). It is always fun to hear it in other series as well, especially in Kamen Rider Wizard. Magirangers was one of my FAVORITE series and I have wanted to write something for it, but couldn't figure out what to do! Thanks to Kamen Rider Wizard's opening song, I was inspired to write a romance story between Wizard and Magi Pink.

This story will take place after Gokaigers (meaning the sentai have their powers back) but before Beast is introduced in Wizard. Lots of Magirangers spoilers.

* * *

They say magic is a sacred power, an adventure, and proof of one's courage. No one can deny that magic is all of those things and so much more. How to channel that magic varies per individual who has it. Some magic is simply used by waving a wand while others have to channel spells or use totems. There are even those magicians who can cast magic by the flick of a wrist. Regardless of how the magic is used, it always starts in the heart for that is where magic blossoms.

**- XoXo -**

Haruto Soto sighed as he sat down at on the pavilion outside the tiny restaurant by the large fountain. Checking his watch yet again, he realized that his partner, Shunpei Nara, was going to be late. Oh well, at least he had some coffee to keep him out of trouble while he waited. The fountain gurgled as it sprayed the water in a neat arch, children laughing as they tried to reach out and touch it.

At a table near him sat a woman in a pink and black blouse with a white skirt who had short brown hair and was talking into her phone. She was pretty, or so Haruto thought as he kept trying to sneak a glance at her. Each time he tried to focus on something else around him, her musical laughter would guide him back to her.

"Sorry I'm late Haruto, Koyomi needed me to help her organize one of the display cases. I told her she should use one of your rings to help her reach the upper part of the shelves but…hey are you listening," Shunpei asked as he sat down. He waved his hand in front of Haruto's face, startling the rider for a moment.

"Oh, hey Shunpei, when did you get here," Haruto asked, blushing slightly. Shunpei frowned at him, something suspicious was going on.

"It's not like you to space out. What were you thinking about? Hmm," Shunpei leaned across the table looking in the direction Haruto had been, trying to see what had caught the rider's attention. Haruto shoved Shumpei back into his own seat.

"Stop being so obvious, she might notice!" Haruto whispered, trying to calm his friend down.

"'She'? Oh is there someone who caught your eye? Who is she?" Shunpei leaned back over the table and scanned the area to Haruto's right. "Ah! Is it her, in the pink?" Shunpei pointed to the girl on the phone, who was laughing once again while she drank her coffee. Once more, Haruto shushed his friend, shoving Shunpei away from him.

"Stop it! We have more important things at hand right now. Medusa has been rather quiet lately, which can't be good," Haruto sighed as he leaned his elbows against the table, resting his head on his hands. "There is bound to be a Phantom attack soon."

"We have all the PlaMonsters out right now, searching for anything suspicious," Shunpei noted, his face becoming a little bit serious. "It's just quiet, I guess. Maybe they gave up finally!" Haruto wasn't convinced.

"No, I don't think they will do that any time soon." Haruto shook his head as a beautiful woman walked past his table. She had long black hair down to her waist that sparkled in the sunlight. Her form fitting dress had the appearance of snake scales that went to mid-thigh. Smiling at all the people around her, she approached the woman in pink.

"Excuse me, but do you know what time it is," asked the long haired woman, her voice sending shivers through Haruto and Shunpei. The woman in pink blinked as she quickly ended her phone call and checked it for the time.

"Sure, it is quarter til one," she said, smiling up at the other woman. "Oh no, I'm running late!" The woman in pink quickly put her phone back in her purse before finishing her drink and standing. "Thank you for reminding me, I would have been heartbroken if I had forgotten!" She picked up a blue gift bag that had been sitting next to her with a little blue bow tie on it.

"Oh? Heading somewhere important?" The woman in the snakeskin dress asked, licking her lips in hunger. The woman in pink just smiled.

"Mhmm! It's my nephew's birthday today so I don't want to be late! Oh, my sister would be so mad if I missed it! Well, bye!" The girl in pink waved and started to walk away, but was stopped by the dark haired woman grabbing her by the forearm.

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid you are going to have to miss that party," the black haired woman smiled at the other woman, fangs elongating as she did. "You're going to go into despair first!" The fanged woman ripped the blue gift bag out of the other woman's hand and threw it on the ground. She smashed it with her high heeled foot, which then shimmered in the sunlight. Her legs changed, matching the pattern of her dress and becoming a long snake tail.

"P-Phantom!" Shunpei shouted, pointing at the serpent woman. The woman in pink gasped as the serpent woman tightened her grip on her arm. The other customers screamed as they tried to get away.

"Get everyone else out of here, I'll protect the Gate!" Haruto shouted, changing the ring on his left hand and placing it over his belt buckle.

**Driver On**

Haruto ran towards the women, putting his shoulder into the serpent as he forced her to let go of the woman in pink.

"Run! I'll keep her busy." Haruto shouted as Shunpei grabbed the woman in pink by the hand, pulling her away from Haruto and the Serpent Phantom.

"Come on, I'll take you somewhere safe," Shunpei pulled at the woman, but she didn't budge as she stared up at the Serpent a bit surprised but perfectly calm.

"It's okay, I can take care of myself," the woman in pink giggled as she handed Shunpei her purse, taking out her phone.

"Ma'am, you don't understand, that's a Phantom and it's after you!" Shunpei tried to warn her, but she would not listen. Haruto managed to push the serpent back, freeing himself from her.

"Damn it, they didn't tell me a Mage would be here…" The Serpent woman hissed as she saw the other woman and Haruto standing near each other. "Doesn't matter, I'll eat you both and send you into despair!"

"How did you know…oh well, doesn't matter," the woman in pink giggled as she pushed a few buttons on her phone. Haruto switched the ring on his left hand to a red one then slid the slider on his belt so the hand buckle was facing the other way.

"Henshin!" Haruto shouted at the same time as the woman in pink shouted,

"Maagi Magi Magiiro!"

**Flame Please!**

**Maagi Magi Magiiro!**

Two magic circles formed, a red one around Haruto and a pink one around the woman. The red one traveled from Haruto's arm across his body giving him armor as he transformed into Kamen Rider Wizard. The woman in pink held her arms out as her circle traveled from her feet to her head, her pink armor and cape forming around her body.

"It's showtime," Wizard said, flicking his wrist as he changed the ring on his right hand to the connect ring. He slid the slider on his belt, his hand lining up with it.

**Connect Please!**

A magical circle appeared to his right and Wizard reached in, pulling out his WizarSwordGun. At the same time, the woman in the pink spun, her cape flaring out behind her.

"The blowing wind element! Magician of the Pink, Magi Pink," She called out. The snake woman stared at the two for a moment.

"EH?! Since when was there two magicians," the Phantom hissed loudly, her fists clenching and unclenching. "That bitch, Medusa…she didn't say anything about this!" Her tail thrashed loudly against the ground.

"Two magicians?" Wizard and Magi Pink said at the same time. The glanced at each other, both of them tilting their heads in confusion. A moment passed before they cried out pointing at each other. "EH?!"

"Talk about this later, here she comes!" Shunpei shouted as he hid behind a tree, watching from a safe distance. Wizard and Magi Pink turned towards the snake woman as she charged at them, her hands flared out to the side as long claws extended, venom dripping from her fangs. Wizard and Magi Pink both dodged away from her.

Magi Pink grabbed the Magi Stick from her waist, pointing it at the monster as the pink butterfly at the top sparkled. "Wind, blow the monster away! **Gii Magika**!" A gust of wind slashed at the Phantom, knocking it off balance and tumbling along the ground, knocking over a few tables and chairs.

"Ah, a wind element, I'll join in the fun too," Wizard said as he switched the red ring on his left hand for a green one. Swapping the sliders on his belt, he placed his hand on it.

**Hurricane Please!**

Wizard threw his hand above his head, a green magical circle appearing. Leaping into the circle, his armor changed from red to green. He pushed off against the magical circle, a gust of wind carrying him as he slashed at the Phantom with his sword. Magi Pink charged the Serpent, slashing at the snake woman with her Magi Stick.

The Phantom slapped Wizard away with her tail right as she landed a hard punch against Magi Pink, pushing the Magicians away from her body. "I can't wait to eat you both whole…" The serpent hissed, breathing heavily as she tried to keep an eye on both Wizard and Magi Pink.

"You won't get a chance to," Wizard shouted as he flicked the thumb on his sword, the hand opening up.

**C'mon slash – shake hands**

The ring on Wizard's hand began to glow as did the gem in the middle of the hand of the sword.

"Looks like time to finish this up," Magi Pink held out her Magi Stick, the butterfly on the tip sparkling once more. "Wind, spin my body! **Gii Magika**!" A gust of wind surrounded Magi Pink as she jumped into the air.

**Hurricane Slash Strike**

**Pink Storm Kick**

Two tornados formed, one around Wizard and the other around Magi Pink. The Serpent hissed as she tried to slither away from the two. Wizard slashed his sword, his green tornado chasing the serpent, trapping it in the cyclone. Magi Pink jumped into the air, her pink tornado spinning her body as she readied a kick. Wizard slashed his sword again, another gust of wind slicing at the serpent as Magi Pink kicked the monster.

The Serpent Woman was sent flying, her scream echoing in the abandoned dining area. She crashed on the ground, sliding into the tables before finally coming to a stop in the fountain. Slowly, she sat up, her body bleeding as Magi Pink landed near Wizard.

"You…bastards…I'll crush you Magicians…you better be prepared…" The Serpent hissed once more, venom spitting from her mouth and landing near Wizard and Magi Pink, exploding on the ground. The two magicians hopped back, avoiding the additional spats of venom. When they looked up, the serpent woman was already gone.

"Damn it, she got away." Wizard said as he canceled his transformation.

"Darn it, have to get her next time," Magi Pink sighed as she too canceled her transformation. They turned to each other, laughing nervously.

"I'm Haruto Soma, Kamen Rider Wizard," Haruto introduced himself, showing her the ring on his hand that allowed him transform.

"So cool!" Magi Pink giggled as she inspected the ring. "I'm Houka Ozu, Magi Pink!" She held her right hand in a sideways V next to her face, winking at Haruto.

"Haruto! She is another magician!" Shunpei shouted as he ran from his hiding spot, colliding into Haruto and pointing at Houka.

"Oh? Are you a magician too," Houka asked, pointing at the yellow ring on Shunpei's hand. He laughed as he waved the idea away.

"I…I wish I was. No, I'm just an apprentice! I'm Shunpei Nara! How are you able to," Shunpei started but was cut off by Houka.

"Oh no, my gift!" Houka ran to the destroyed bag, picking it up and sighing heavily. "I worked so hard to pick out his gift too…" She hung her head.

"Is there anything we can do," Haruto asked nervously, his heart racing as he stood near the woman.

"Nope, I'll just have to find an even better gift! I better call Urara-chan!" Houka took out her phone, searching through her phone records for her sister's number before calling. "It was nice to meet you Wizard-kun! I hope we run into each other again! Oh, Hikaru-sensei? Can I talk to my sister please?" Houka chatted away as she grabbed her purse from Shunpei and walked away.

"Wait, you're bag!" Haruto called after her, holding the remains of her destroyed gift bag. Houka was already out of sight before he could catch up to her with it. He sighed as he searched for the other Magician.

"What do we do now? Doesn't she need our protection from the Phantoms?" Shunpei asked, feeling a bit uneasy about the whole ordeal.

"I'm not sure, let's head back to the Antique Shop and see if Koyomi can find her." Haruto took one last look around the dining area, searching for the faintest hint of pink anywhere. Sadly, she was already gone.

* * *

**Author's Note**: A good start to this silly little story. I hope you like it and please leave a review!


	2. Chapter 2

**Mahou Hero**

**Chapter 2 **

**By ManaGoddess**

**Disclaimer****:** I do not own Kamen Rider Wizard or Mahou Sentai Magirangers. Both are owned by Toei and this is a work of my own imagination.

**Author's Note****:** Welcome back. This story takes place before the Fourze x Wizard movie (Episode 13ish) so Beast has not been discovered yet. Be aware of spoilers for Magirangers though since this takes place after Gokaigers.

* * *

"So, tell me again what happened," Detective Rinko Daimon said as she reached into her pocket to retrieve the small notebook she usually kept in there. Flipping to a blank page she fished in her purse for a pen and was ready to jot down information. She needed to make sure to catch every little detail of this story.

"A Phantom showed up, some sort of snake woman, and tried to attack a Gate. The Gate, as it turns out, is actually some sort of Magician and fought with me. Unfortunately the Phantom got away before either of us could destroy it. The Gate disappeared shortly after that," Haruto explained as he sat on the couch opposite to the one Rinko sat on in the Antique Shop Omokagedo. Shunpei sat next to him while the owner, Shigeru Wajima, sat in the chair between the two couches, listening to the story again.

"Hmm, I didn't know there were other Magicians besides the White Wizard," Wajima leaned back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest as he thought about it. Of course it wasn't his place to know of such things about wizards and magicians. After all, it was his job to make rings. "I wonder if someone else is making rings." He pondered aloud as he thought of his current project in his workshop. Shunpei shook his head as he remembered watching the girl transform.

"No, she didn't use any rings. Her cellphone turned into a strange magic wand that she used," Shunpei explained, trying to mimick her movements for transforming. "It was really weird and she used a spell, but I can't remember it. She did have a ring on though, but I don't think it was one like Haruto has."

Koyomi, wearing her white frilly dress, set the teapot and cups on the table, pouring tea into each cup as she listened to the story. "It sounds very suspicious to me," Koyomi confessed as she finished pouring. It made no sense to her to use a cell phone to change. Then again, using rings could sound strange to others.

"Wait a moment, if she is able to transform, doesn't that mean she has a belt and went into despair," Rinko asked, her eye glancing to the yellow ring on her hand as she remembered being saved by Haruto. According to Haruto and Koyomi, the only way was to first have magic inside of you which would give birth to a Phantom as you go into despair. If you succumbed to the despair, you would lose yourself and become a Phantom, but if you overcame it, then you could become a Magician. At least, that's what they think happens.

"Remember, she used her phone to transform. If she did beat her despair then why are the Phantoms be after her," Shunpei countered, picking up his cup to take a sip, wincing as he burned his lip and setting the cup back down. Koyomi took the seat next to Rinko, sighing softly as thought about this more.

"I wish we could ask someone who knows about this there is too much we don't know. I have a bad feeling," Koyomi gripped her skirts in her hands, her mind playing out different scenes on how this could come crashing down around them.

"Don't worry Koyomi I'm sure everything will be fine. You never know, she might be able to help me fight the Phantoms," Haruto smiled as he thought of seeing the Houka again. He had never seen anything like her and was curious to know more about the Magician of the Pink. It was quite a rush fighting side by side with her as well. Shunpei's elbow in his side pulled him from his thoughts of the Gate.

"Poor Haruto couldn't stop staring at the woman! I think he wants to see her again for a different reason," Shunpei teased as all eyes turned to Haruto. Color crept onto his face as Haruto met the questioning gaze of the others. Koyomi frowned as she thought of Haruto being distracted from his duties. They didn't need more Phantoms running around the city.

"I-it's not like that! She is a Gate and it is my job as a Kamen Rider to protect her," Haruto looked from one person to another, each person judging the weight of his actions. They made him sound like a love sick puppy.

"Does that mean she is cute," Rinko asked as she tapped the end of the pen against her chin, earning herself a glare from Haruto. "I have not met her and need a description if I'm going to investigate this Gate." A smile played at Rinko's lips as Haruto sighed heavily, shaking his head at the detective.

"Well, she is pretty. Wears a sort of pink checkered sailor suit and has short brown hair. Her smile lights up the whole area and her laughter is the best kind of music," Haruto closed his eyes as he imagined Houka again, the smile she had after they fought the monster. She was a very expressive person and full of energy. He opened his eyes and flinched. "W-why are you staring at me?"

"That's quite a description for someone you only had contact with for ten minutes," Rinko chuckled to herself as she jotted down notes in her book. "Alright, I'm off to the station to find out more about this Houka Ozu. Keep me informed if there is any more Phantom activity." She grabbed her purse and headed to the door, turning back to take one last jab at Haruto. "And try not to drool next time you run into her." Haruto blushed again, trying to hide it by looking away and crossing his arms over his chest.

The door to the Antique shop opened as Rinko reached for it. Stepping aside Rinko bowed apologetically, allowing the customer to come in.

"Welcome," Wajima said as he slowly got to his feet, his old bones creaking as they were still sore from working on the new Magic Ring earlier. Koyomi rose as well, welcoming the guest and heading to the small alcove where the register was.

"Hello~," the customer said in a sing-song voice as she walked in, her eyes instantly amazed by her surroundings. Shunpei and Haruto gasped and pointed.

"You," the two men shouted together, pointing at the customer. Haruto stole a glance at his reflection in one of the display cases, smoothing out his hair. Rinko frowned slightly as she flipped open her book to read the description Haruto had given her about the Gate.

"Oh, hello again Wizard-kun," Houka waved to Haruto as she stepped into the store proper, letting the door close behind her. She giggled as she walked towards him, a knowing smile as she watched his face turn red. "And hello to you too, Apprentice-kun!" Houka waved to Shunpei who smiled and waved back.

" 'Wizard-kun'," the others questioned as they looked from Houka to Haruto; the rider's face turning an even brighter shade of red. He laughed it off as best he could, putting his hands into his pockets and making sure to avoid their gazes.

"Excuse me, are you Houka Ozu," Rinko asked after tapping Houka on the shoulder. Houka looked up at Rinko, smiling as she saw the detective. Rinko had to admit, the woman's smile was infections as she felt herself return the happy gesture.

"Yes I am, are you Wizard-kun's girlfriend," Houka asked, giving Rinko a knowing look and winking. The detective stared at the girl for a moment, the question not having set in yet.

"EH?!" Rinko shouted, jumping back from Houka as if she were dangerous. Houka pouted and tilted her head. "No, no, no, I am not his girlfriend." Rinko cleared her throat before grabbing a business card from her purse and handing it to Houka. "I'm Detective Rinko Daimon and I investigate the Phantoms and Gates." Houka nodded, noticing the large ring on Rinko's hand.

"Oh, are you a Magician too," Houka turned to Haruto and the others, searching for the rings on their hands as well. She was quite surprised at how many there were in the room. "I didn't know there were so many in this city!" Houka giggled, not seeing the confusion on everyone's faces. Koyomi and Shunpei shook their heads.

"Haruto is the only Magician," Koyomi informed Houka. "We've just been saved by him." She touched the ring she always wore, her mind thinking back to the day of the Sabbath and how Haruto had saved her. She also checked on her Mana reserves, judging how long until she would need a recharge.

"So you give rings to everyone you save Wizard-kun? Strange," Houka tapped her bottom lip with her index finger in thought. She imagined he would probably go through them pretty quickly. Haruto cleared his throat, feeling very awkward at the moment.

"N-no, it's not like that. It…is complicated. Please, have a seat, we'll explain everything," Haruto gestured towards the couch Rinko had been sitting on earlier. It would take a while to explain the situation and figured it would be best if she sat. Plus it would give Haruto a chance to look at her more without being too weird. Houka shook her head and sighed heavily.

"I'd love to stay and get to know you better, Wizard-kun, but I have to find my nephew a birthday present. I'm on a mission," Houka smiled, doing her sign of determination, a victory peace sign with her right hand near her face, her fingers pointing towards her cheek. Haruto blinked as he attempted the maneuver with his hand next to his face as well. Shunpei slapped at his arm, causing Haruto's hands to dig into his pockets again.

"Oh, what were you thinking of getting him," Wajima asked as he took over the conversation, eager to have a sale. Holding his arm out, he gestured towards one of the display cases which held some antique toys in it.

"Hmm, I was thinking maybe a book. Do you have anything on Earth mythology," Houka asked, looking around the shop for any signs of a bookshelf. Wajima smiled as he showed her a small bookshelf stuffed with old books. Rinko waved to get Haruto's attention, gesturing for him to come to her for a private conversation. Sad to leave Houka's side, Haruto walked towards the door where Rinko was.

"I'm heading to the station to get some information about our Gate, try to stay out of trouble," Rinko demanded, glaring at him. Haruto jumped back a little, not wanting to face her wrath. Although Haruto was a Kamen Rider, he was no match for an angry woman. He nodded his head several times, promising to not mess things up as Rinko left, the door jingling behind her.

"Ya-hoo! This is perfect," Houka exclaimed as she held a book up, flipping through it quickly and looking at all the pictures and stories inside. "I know he and his father will love reading this together, they love this sort of thing." She smiled, turning to Wajima, her face lit up with joy. "Thank you!" Leaning forward, she kissed the older man on the cheek. He smiled, blushing slightly and laughing. Haruto looked on, slightly crushed and a bit jealous.

"I'm glad I could help." Wajima laughed to himself as he walked towards his tiny workshop in the back, his fingers lightly touching where she had kissed him. Koyomi sighed as she leaned against the counter, shaking her head in annoyance.

"He is going to talk about that non-stop for the next week," Koyomi groaned quietly to herself, wondering how many times she is going to have to hear about this. She sat up straight and stared at Houka as she set the book on the counter, her wallet in hand. Koyomi studied Houka for a moment, trying to sense what she actually was. She could feel something in the other woman, but couldn't put her finger on it. "You have magic…how? You aren't a Phantom."

"The Elemental Heavenly Saint of Wind, Wingel, aids me, if that is what you mean," Houka answered simply as if it was an everyday thing. Placing her hand over her chest, her gaze drifted to the ring on her hand, memories coming back as she thought of her past. "She gave me the power to fight, so I used it to keep others safe." Koyomi frowned, she had no idea what, or who, a Heavenly Saint was. It sounded a bit too much like a Phantom to her.

"You are like Kamen Rider Wizard then." Koyomi took a step back, a bit nervous around the Magiranger. Usually Koyomi could tell if a Phantom was hiding in a human form, but she detected nothing from Houka. The other woman's type of magic frightened Koyomi a bit, making her uncomfortable. Houka could only shrug as she didn't really understand Haruto's powers either; she had assumed it was something like her own.

"Maybe? Anywho, how much do I owe you for the book," Houka asked, smiling as she ran her finger over the cover again. It was a beautiful book, old, but well preserved and had been loved if the wrinkled spine said anything about that. Her nephew would love it, she was sure of it. As a bonus, it would teach her brother-in-law more about Earth.

"Nothing, consider it a gift," Wajima shouted from his workshop, causing the residence of the shop to blink in confusion. It wasn't like the shop owner to give up a sale, seeing as how they had so few as it was.

"You mean it," Houka gasped, giggling as she ran to the entrance of his little workshop that was off to the side of the main part of the shop, leaning in to see the old man working. Wajima stopped cutting the Magic Stone he had been cutting to look up at her and smile, nodding his head in approval.

"Of course, now run along, you are already late," Wajima shooed her away as she quickly checked the time on her phone. She threw her arms around his neck, hugging him from behind, still dancing from foot to foot at the turn of events.

"I won't forget your kindness. Thank you," Houka was sincere as she hugged him once more before returning to the counter to collect her things, a new spring in her step. Koyomi stood away from her, not trusting Houka still. She wanted to know more about the Magicians and the Heavenly Saints before she would trust the Gate. Haruto cleared his throat behind them, smiling at Houka. When she turned to look at him, he almost lost his train of thought again.

"I know you are powerful, but I still want to keep an eye on you. I recommend you coming back here after the party so we can make sure you are safe and explain what is going on," Haruto explained, his heart fluttering in his chest. It was a valid excuse to see her again; she was a Gate after all and needed protecting. Houka placed a hand on her hip, smiling up at him.

"That is the silliest way to ask a girl to a date I have ever heard, you can do better than that, Wizard-kun. How about we go to the park or have dinner after instead," Houka suggested, mischief sparkling in her eyes. Haruto's mouth opened a few times, but no voice came out as he stared at her, gaping like a fish out of water, his mind going blank.

"O-of course he will, you wouldn't want to be stuck in this stuffy shop all day especially after a birthday party," Shunpei stepped up, trying to save what little face Haruto had left. Searching the counter, Shunpei grabbed a pen and a scrap of paper, handing it to Houka. "Why don't you write your information down and he will message you later." An elbow dug into Haruto's side as Shunpei tried to snap the rider out of his stupor. It wasn't usual for Haruto to be so scatterbrained.

"Y-yes that is a good idea." Haruto nodded his head in agreement, his mind getting back on track. Shaking her head, Houka laughed as she wrote her information on the piece of paper before handing it to Haruto.

"I hope to hear from you soon! Oh, I wrote down my brother's information for Detective-kun, I think they would be a cute couple so make sure you give that to her! Well, Bye bye!" Houka waved farewell to the shop as she gathered her belongs and left, leaving a stunned Haruto behind. He looked down at the piece of paper that had Houka's information along with the information of someone named Tsubasa Ozu. With Houka out of the store, the air no longer felt as energized and fun almost as if the sun had gone behind a cloud.

Koyomi crossed her arms over her chest, frowning as she watched the girl walk down the street, her phone to her ear and talking into it excitedly. "I don't like her, but we need to keep an eye on the Gate. If her Phantom is born, who knows what will happen." Koyomi shook her head, her gaze going to the crystal ball that accompanied her behind the desk. She would do her best to track the Gate, but something about her magic made it difficult to pin point her location. Never before had Koyomi run into this problem.

"Is that jealousy I detect in your voice, Koyomi?" Haruto asked as he put Houka's information in his phone, his cheeks still a bit red. He tore off Houka's information, leaving Tsubasa's as he placed the note on the counter, a small clock keeping the paper from flying away. Koyomo stood up, slamming her hands on the counter.

"There is no reason to speak that way with me. I don't understand romance so why would I be jealous," Koyomi sat back on her stool, pouting as she crossed her arms over her chest. She hated being teased, especially for not understanding something. "I just don't want to see you hurt." Her voice was quiet as she gazed into the crystal ball once more, searching for the Phantom. Haruto leaned on the counter, smiling at her. It was very rare for Koyomi to get upset about anything.

"Thank you for your concern. I'm sorry," He apologized, genuinely sad for upsetting her. An idea struck as he thought of the best way to get back on Koyomi's good side. "Would you like some donuts?" He smiled as he watched her fight to dampen her excitement.

"Yes please!" Shunpei chimed in, raising his hand as he leaned against the counter next to Haruto, his hand waving in front of Haruto's face. The Rider batted it away, frowning at the eccentric man. Sometimes Shunpei was just a bit too much to handle. "Can we try the new ones with the pink frosting on them? I really want to know how they taste!"

"Plain sugar is the best though," Haruto reminded him, shaking his head at the absurd thought of eating a different kind of donut. A smirk played at Koyomi's lips but she quickly hid it as Haruto turned to look at her once more.

"I want to try one of the flower ones, and you, personally, will ask Manager for it, Haruto." Koyomi pointed at the Rider, humor glinting in her eyes as her face was dead serious. She wanted revenge for making her look silly and this was the perfect way to do it. Haruto frowned at the thought, shaking his head quickly.

"No, no, no. If I do that she will keep trying to push different donuts on me. Please don't make me Koyomi," he begged, panicking slightly at the thought. Already he had to deal with Manager offering him weird flavored donuts every time he went to the shop, if he actually ordered a strange one, who knew what would happen! He began to seriously weigh just how bad it would be to have Koyomi stay mad at him.

"I will only accept that as an apology from you. If you do not, then you can hunt Phantoms by yourself," Koyomi ended the debate as she stood up once more, picking up a cloth to dust the Antique Shop. She pushed past the two men as she went to one of the display cases, spraying the cleaning solution on the glass and wiping away finger prints while making a note to ignore them.

"Fine, I will. Let's go Shunpei, you better be my witness or else she will never believe me," Haruto sighed as he walked to the door, the bell jingling as he held it open for Shunpei, shaking his head at his troubles. "Be back soon." The door closed with another jingle as silence settled. Wajima's laughter echoed in the tiny shop as he continued to shape the strange stone he had found earlier. Picking up the odd pink stone, he let it shine in the light before setting it back in the clamps to smooth out the edges once more.

* * *

**Author's Note****:** I like where this is going, it is becoming quite fun. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I am. I'm having far too much fun writing Houka. Please leave a review and let me know what you think! Thank you Rubius for the suggestion of having Rinko and Tsubasa as a couple, might play with that a bit.


	3. Chapter 3

**Mahou Hero**

**Chapter 3**

**By ManaGoddess**

**Disclaimer****: **I do not own Kamen Rider Wizard or Mahou Sentai Magirangers. Both are owned by Toei and this is a work of my own imagination. Sol and Zolda are mine though.

**Author's Note****:** Spoilers for Magirangers as this takes place after Gokaigers. Wizard is before episode 13. In case you have forgotten characters: Yuka Yamazaki was the captain of Kai's soccer team who he had a crush on and Eriko Ikeda worked at the coffee shop that Makito fell for her (episode 10). Hikaru (MagiShine) real name is Sungel and Isamu (Wolzard) real name is Blagel.

* * *

"Happy Birthday," Houka shouted as she stepped into the kitchen of the home she had grown up in alongside her four siblings, Makito, Urara, Tsubasa, and Kai. It felt so good to be home once again that she could barely contain her excitement. The fact that it was her nephew's birthday gave her reason to be a bit more peppy than usual.

"Aunt Houka!" A little boy with golden brown hair cried out as he left his mother's side to hug Houka. She knelt down, wrapping her arms around the little boy and hugging him tight, the blue birthday bag tightly in her hand. Of course, the young boy didn't miss that for a second as he began to eye it suspiciously. The other three women in the kitchen Houka's mother, sister, and her sister-in-law, laughed as the eldest daughter of the Ozu children made her appearance.

"It's good to see you again, sis," a woman wearing a blue checkered apron said as she dried her hands on it, embracing her older sister. The women hugged for a moment, glad to see each other after being separated for so long. It was one thing to live on the other side of the country, but quite another to live in a completely different world.

"You look great Urara," Houka held her sister out at arm's length, looking at her from head to toe, even forcing her sister to turn in a circle, just so Houka could get a full picture. The older sister nodded her head approvingly causing the younger woman blushed slightly, shooing away Houka's compliment as she went back to the stove to finish cooking the birthday lunch.

"Aunt Houka, what did you get me," the little boy asked, tugging on Houka's sleeve as he tried to peek in the blue bag that was held just out of his reach. He poked his fingers in the bag, trying to move the tissue paper to get a better look. Crouching next to him again, Houka opened the bag just a little bit, letting him peek inside. Once more he tried to move the paper.

"I got you…not telling!" Houka quickly closed the bag, holding it away from as she planted a noisy kiss on his cheek. He made a face at his aunt, looking distraught as she had betrayed his tiny trust. "You will have to wait, Sol." The birthday boy stuck his tongue out at Houka, wiping away the kiss and pouting.

"No fair! It's my birthday…" Sol complained as he tried to look in the bag again, hoping to sway Houka's opinion with his charm. The other women in the kitchen giggled amongst themselves as they watched Houka's struggle. Laughing along with the others, Houka held the bag high over his head out of his reach, while wagging her finger at him.

"Nope, you will have to wait and be a good boy," Houka smiled as she messed up his hair with her hand, watching him get flustered and try to fix it. "Mother, where is a safe place to put this?" An older woman in a white dress with long brown hair smiled as she turned to her daughter.

"In the magical study if you want to make sure he doesn't get into it," Miyuki Ozu gestured towards the staircase that lead upstairs. Sticking her tongue out at Sol once more, Houka hurried towards the stairs, daring him to give chase. Of course her nephew hot on her heels as she ran, his tiny legs trying to keep up with hers. A gold M shone on the wall of the foyer as she rounded a corner, her target in sight.

"Gonna have to be faster than that," Houka teased as the M shone brightly, allowing her to pass through the wall into a secret room, the M fading behind and sealing the small portal. She laughed as she heard Sol come to a halt then hit the wall with his fist.

"Hey, that's not right! I'm not old enough to go through alone yet," Sol shouted through the barrier as Houka continued through the magical portal into a special room that she had spent much of her adult life in. Even though she wasn't very good at studying there was something oddly calming about the magical study that felt as if she belonged here.

Houka landed in a library, materializing in front of a fire place that was lit by magic. She stretched her arms above her head as she looked around the familiar room, a wave of nostalgia flooding over her. Even now she couldn't believe the home she grew up in had a secret room like this one. It warmed her to see the two men sitting at the grand desk, looking as if they had belonged there all along. Sighing happily she skipped towards them.

"Houka! Houka! Houka!" A small voice cried out her name, trying to get her attention, as a white potted plant hovered near her. The leafy green Mandrake bounced in his pot as he hovered around her, bubbling with excitement. His leaves were a nice color and his soil had been freshly changed, probably thanks to her older brother's farm no doubt.

"Nice to see you too Mandora-kun!" Houka kissed the plant's cheek, watching as he spun around the room in excitement again. Mandora had been a huge help to her brothers and her while they were learning magic and fighting to save the world. He even allowed them to go to Magitopia once. It had been quite the adventure for the small plant.

"With Houka here, we won't get any more work done, father," A young man in black robes smiled as he leaned against the desk crossing his arms over his chest, the firelight of the candles catching the red streaks in his hair. He shook his head, tsking at the sudden intrusion.

"You're right, Kai. It's good to see you Houka," an older man smiled up at his daughter as he slowly got to his feet, his body complaining from sitting so long. With a wave of the hand the books scattered across the desk marked their places and fluttered into a neat pile. Houka's heart swelled as she saw the two men who looked very much alike.

"Good to see you guys too," Houka set the gift on the round table at the top of library as she stepped down the step into the study properly, embracing her father and youngest brother. "I saw your wife in the kitchen, Kai. Is that a baby bump I see on her?" Houka elbowed Kai, who turned bright red to match the highlights in his hair. Houka never gave up a chance to tease him. It was hard now that he traveled between earth and Infershia as the ambassador to the two realms.

"We..uh..are um…you see…we…" he stammered, trying to find the proper words. It had slipped his mind that he hadn't told Houka yet about the child on the way. Thanks to Houka's cheerful disposition though, he didn't feel quite as bad as she laughed it off. Houka's father, Isamu Ozu, laughed heartedly at his son, patting him on the back proudly.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone," Houka held her finger over her lips, promising to keep a secret as she winked. Kai rolled his eyes as he shook his head. He knew his oldest sister better than that. He tried hard not to remember her 'match making' skills from when he was in high school. To this day his wife would tease him about it.

"Houka you are by far the worst at keeping secrets," Kai reminded his sister. She blinked in confusion before laughing. He had a point, but it wasn't proper to bring it up.

"Very true. Are Makito and Tsubasa here yet," Houka asked the two, hoping to see her older and younger brother soon. It had been too long since all of them had been together like this, not since everyone had moved away from their home. Of course, they were always welcome here, but schedules never seemed to line up properly.

"Makito and Eriko are letting Zolda play in his old garden and Tsubasa hasn't arrived yet," Kai mentioned as he walked towards the fireplace that would lead him back to the house. He laughed as he heard Sol knocking on the other side of the wall, trying to find the secret weak point that would let him in. Pulling his hood up over his head, Kai waved to his father and sister before jumping through the portal, roaring in hopes of startling his nephew.

"Even as the Ambassador to Infershia, he is still a child at heart," Isamu shook his head, chuckling as he heard Sol get startled then both boys laughing. It warmed his heart to see that even after all that had happened to his children, even with his disappearance from their childhood, they were still fun, loving people.

"I hope he never changes and keeps that innocence. He will be a good dad, I think." Houka echoed his thoughts as she walked around the desk, looking at the family pictures. It was a sweet timeline of events that had happened in the past seven years: pictures of the five Ozu siblings and their mother, some with the addition of their teacher, and future husband of Urara, Hikaru, the wedding picture from Kai and Yuka Yamazaki's ceremony in Infershia, the wedding picture of Makito and Eriko from the garden in the back yard, Tsubasa's boxing championships, a few of the modeling shoots of Houka, and finally a picture of Isamu's grandchildren Sol and Zolda. It was growing to become such a loving family and took up lots of space on his desk. Not that he minded of course.

"He will do fine," Isamu put his hand on Houka's shoulder, smiling to his daughter. "Is everything alright, you seem troubled." Worry lined the older man's face as he watched his daughter wipe away a tear brought on by all the memories displayed in front of her. It was tough realizing her younger siblings were all grown up now and no longer needed her to look after them. Shaking her head, her smile was back in place, beaming brightly to hide whatever sadness she had. Her father saw right through it though, but he wouldn't press the issue. When she was ready, she would tell her tale.

"Yup, just fine! I do want to talk to you all later though, I have some questions about Infershia and Magitopia." Her voice was serious, which was rather unusual for Houka. The attack from earlier had bugged her for a bit and the visit to the antique shop only added to her confusion about Gates and Phantoms. She hoped her family might know something either events. Nodding, Isamu understood that this was very important matter at hand.

"I can gather everyone now, if you like." Isamu offered, removing his phone from his coat pocket and flicking it into an almost identical magical wand that Houka had used earlier to transform into Magi Pink. Houka laughed, covering it with her hands.

"No, no, this is Sol's special day and we should let him enjoy it. It's not a dire emergency or anything, so we should be okay!" Houka reassured her father, linking her arm with his and guiding him towards the fireplace to join the rest of the household. She wanted to enjoy this moment, for she didn't know if it would be the last time they would be together peacefully or not.

"If you say so, I trust your judgment." Isamu patted her hand as he kissed her atop her head, the two of them stepping through the barrier into the main house, Mandora following close behind them.

**-M-**

"Medusa, you bitch, where are you? Medusa!" the serpent woman hissed as she limped into the abandoned warehouse, kicking over an old crate. Rage boiled within her and she wanted to find the Phantom who had assigned her to this shitty task.

"My, my, Lamia, what a temper you have," Medusa, in her human form wearing a blue dress, smiled as she sat atop one a pile of boxes, looking rather bored her foot swinging lazily. She looked down at the Serpent Woman, a smile playing on Medusa's lips. "Get into a fight did we?"

"You lied to me," Lamia hissed again, spitting poison at Medusa as she kicked over another pile of empty boxes. The other woman's form shimmered as she hopped down, changing into a Phantom, the snakes in her hair hissing softly at Lamia's attack. Medusa wasn't afraid of reminding the woman just who was in charge.

"No need to spit at me. How did I lie," Medusa asked her voice calm despite the anger in Lamia's. If there was one thing Medusa was good at, it was keeping her temper in check, even while the lower Phantoms complained about the task given to them. Didn't they know better than to question the will of Wiseman? He was their creator after all.

"You told me there was only one Magician! He used rings or something stupid like that," Lamia crossed her arms over her chest, her form shimmering as she transformed into a large Serpent. Her top half was that of a woman but her legs had fused together to become a serpent tail. Scales covered her whole body and her hands had become claws.

"There is only one, unless we are counting the White Magician, but I haven't seen him in a long time." Medusa tapped her bottom lip as she paced. Could the White Magician be acting out against them again? She had only seen him once or twice, the first from the Sabbath which had awaken Medusa and the other Phantoms. He had only cared about the girl in his arms and the one boy who hadn't shed his former life to give birth to a Phantom. Regret kicked her every time she thought about it; she had a perfect chance to get rid of the pesky Ring Wizard but had shrugged it off.

"Oh, is this a snake fight? My money's on Medusa," a male voice shouted from the rafters, catching both women's attention. Phoenix, in his human form wearing all red, hopped down, landing gracefully as he watched the two women, a cocky grin in place as he rubbed his hands together. Both serpents rolled their eyes at him, doing their best to ignore the Phantom.

"You still have to work with him?" Lamia pitied the other woman, knowing just how annoying Phoenix was from personal experience. Medusa could only shrug; she was doing what the Wiseman had told her. If only she could get Phoenix to understand that and to not run off half crazed, trying to kill anything that moved, she would be alright.

"It is the Wiseman's wish for us to work together to find more Gates to create more Phantoms. Speaking of which, how was that one woman with the large aura?" Medusa ignored Phoenix as she sat on an empty crate, her form shimmering as she reverted back to her human form, feeling a bit more comfortable in this. Lamia did the same, smoothing out her form fitting dress which was now whole again, the battle damage having mended.

"She is a Magician, like the one you warned me about, it seems. She transformed when Wizard showed up," Lamia reported, rubbing her sore shoulder. If she had known that there was going to be more than one to fight she would have approached the woman from a much different angle. Knowledge wasn't always given freely in this business, sometimes you had to force it from people.

"That can't be, she has the aura of a Gate unlike Wizard," Medusa frowned as she listened. It wasn't possible. If you had a Phantom inside you, you had an aura. If the Phantom had already awakened, Medusa would have known about it. However, if the Phantom had been destroyed, then the aura wouldn't be there at all. This made no sense.

"Oh, was the mighty Medusa wrong about something," Phoenix teased, laughing at his partner, edging on her silent anger. Medusa glared at him, her eyes sparkling as Phoenix's legs turned to stone, paralyzing him and attaching him to the floor. "Damn it, really?" He tried to move, but found he couldn't and almost fell over in the attempt.

"Shut up or I'll petrify you all the way," Medusa warned as turned her back to Phoenix, giving her full attention to Lamia. Something wasn't quite right here and she needed all the details. "The Gate has the aura, so she can still be brought to despair and her Phantom could be born. It would be one of the strongest so we must get her, regardless of what happens." Lamia sighed as she looked at her nails, pouting as one had chipped. She would need to schedule an appointment after she was finished with the Gate.

"You make it sound so easy. If you could take care of Wizard that would leave me free to focus on the Gate," Lamia smirked as she placed her hands on her hips, gazing at Medusa, daring her to argue the point. "Why not do that for me, huh?"

"Because Medusa is too weak, she can't even get a gate to go into despair properly," Phoenix laughed as he wobbled a bit, his feet still cemented to the floor. Medusa spun around; her eyes sparkling as the petrification slowly crawled up his body. "Hey, it was a joke! S-stop it! God damn it Medu-" He was cut off as his face turned to stone.

"Isn't that a bit much, Medusa," Lamia asked, crossing her arms over her chest as she stared at the strange statue. Already parts of it began to heat up and turn red as Phoenix attempted to shift into his Phantom form.

"He'll be back to normal by morning. I'll see what I can do about the Magician of the Rings. You need to focus on the Gate. I have a good feeling about this." A wicked smile played at Medusa's lips as she made her way to the petrified Phoenix, her anger and frustration simmering under the surface. "Just you wait, Wiseman will be unstoppable with this one and you will be out of a job." She laughed as she pushed the statue over, watching it shatter on the ground, the fragments bursting into flames, burning until they turned into ash. Lamia stared at the other Phantom, a shiver running down her back.

"Scary," Lamia backed away from the other woman slowly, shaking her head. She knew Medusa was a bit crazy, but killing your own partner for fun was just a bit…wrong, even if he was an annoying prick. Shrugging, Lamia turned away from the crazed scene and left to form a plan.

-**M**-

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Sol. Happy birthday to you," the Ozu family sang together as they sat at the dining room table, laughing and clapping along. Sol sat in the center, a large cake in front of him with seven candles lit up on top of it, causing his face to glow even brighter with his smile. Even Mandora and Smokey the Magical Cat, sitting in his magical lamp, joined in for the birthday song. Staring in complete awe of the cake, Sol took a deep breath and blew out the candles as everyone cheered.

"Say, what did you wish for, hmm? You can tell me," Houka giggled as she leaned her ear close to her nephew. Already the cake was being pulled aside to be cut up and allow everyone to have a slice. Sol thought for a moment about his wish before leaning close to Houka's ear.

"I wished for…not telling!" Sol giggled as he saw Houka clasp her hands over her chest, a look of shock and betrayal written across her face. She pretended to be hurt, taken aback by him using her own technique against. She would show him though!

"Why you little…" Houka growled playfully as she tickled the boy, laughing maniacally as his laughter filled the room. He squirmed in his seat, siding off of it to get away as he hid behind his father, sticking his tongue out at Houka.

"Now, now, that's enough. Time to open your gifts," Hikaru said as he picked his son up and placed him on his lap, gesturing to all the presents on the table that had suddenly appeared while Houka had been distracting the boy with her tickles.

"Sphinx and Vancuria sent their gifts with me, so they are mixed in the pile too," Kai smiled as he gestured to the two black bags on the table, one with a tiny bat shaped name tag and the other with a pyramid shaped tag. It made Sol feel loved to know that the fellow leaders of Infershia had thought of him.

"We will send them special thank you cards after," Urara smiled at her son, who rolled his eyes at the thought of writing out cards. He knew it was the right thing to do, but the older-than-dirt women scared him a little and he was afraid of saying the wrong thing to them.

"It's okay, I'll help you with them," Hikaru promised as he saw the light and joy return to his son's eyes. He turned back to the pile in front of him and reached for the first bag, excited to see what new thing he had been given.

In a matter of moments, Sol had torn into his gifts, opening them as quickly as possible with a never ending amount of enthusiasm. Even if one gift was lesser than another, he never showed it, always grateful for the act. Houka smiled as she watched her nephew, proud of the young man he was already becoming, her hand gently resting on her own stomach as that familiar internal clock continued to tick.

"I want one…" Houka sighed as she watched Sol open a gift from her older brother, Makito. It was a small window garden that he would be able to use to grow Earth flowers in even though he lived in Magitopia, high above the clouds. Urara had missed Earth's flowers and every time she visited she had picked up a bouquet for herself. Now she and Sol would be able to grow their own.

"I think you would be a good mother," Tsubasa confessed as he sat next to his eldest sister, watching his other siblings with their spouses and understanding her pang of loneliness. His eyes lingered on his older brother who held his young daughter on his lap, the little girl reaching out for discarded wrapping paper and waving it around with her tiny hand. "You did a good job with the rest of us."

"Oh, that reminds me; I met a nice detective today who seemed like a good fit for you. I gave her your information," Houka smiled as she recalled her conversation with Detective Rinko. She really was a nice person, very down to earth and would probably be good at keeping Tsubasa reined in and under control. She also wouldn't back down from his fighting spirit either. Tsubasa groaned aloud, leaning forward to rest his forearms on the table and place his head on his hands. He looked sideways at Houka, sighing loudly once more.

"Really Hou-nee? You know I'm not fit for those kinds of things," Tsubasa turned his attention back to his nephew who was completely amazed by Makito's gift, explaining to his younger cousin how he promised to bring her the first flower that blossomed. Zolda giggled and reached for Sol's face, pinching his cheeks and laughing at his funny face. He stuck his tongue out at her and crossed his eyes, causing her, and the others, to laugh more. "Besides, you aren't very good at these sorts of things."

"What? I have been successful many times at setting up relationships, so don't you say that! I can't help it if you are such a bore, Tsubasa-chan," Houka pushed her brother, laughing as he almost fell from his chair. He glared back at her, unsure if he should laugh or be worried. "Oh, he is opening my gift!" Houka giggled as she scooted her chair closer to the table, nudging Tsubasa so he would watch too.

Sol opened the blue bag, removing the old leather book inside. He frowned as he turned it over in his hands, unsure of how he felt about it. "Mythology of the Western World," Sol read the title aloud before he opened the book, curious as to what it was about. His eyes grew large in amazement as he saw a picture depicting Hercules fighting the dreaded Gorgon, Medusa. "WOAH! This is awesome! Thanks Aunt Houka!" Quickly he began to flip through the pages, searching for all the pictures that were in it. Even Hikaru was interested in the book as he looked over Sol's shoulder at the pictures, trying to read the descriptions underneath before Sol turned the page. Houka had remembered that Hikaru didn't know very much about Earth's history since he was from Magitopia and figured this would be the perfect gift for both of them.

"Glad you like it, a nice old man in an Antique Shop helped me pick it out," Houka smiled triumphantly as she relaxed in her chair, proud of her ability to pick out things for her family. Urara frowned at her sister, remembering the phone call from earlier today.

"Was this after the accident with the…other idea," Urara asked carefully, trying not to hint to Sol that he originally had another gift. Houka nodded, but held her finger over her mouth in a shushing motion, her eyes darting to her family. She didn't want to worry them over something like this. It wasn't a big deal, honestly.

"Accident? Is this part of what you wanted to talk to us about," Isamu asked his daughter, sitting comfortably at the head of the table as he watched everyone. He looked around at his growing family, pride filling him as he saw their smiles and heard their laughter. It amazed him how much he had missed out while he was trapped in Infershia after sacrificing himself to seal N Ma and becoming Wolzard. Thanks to the love of his family, he was able to awaken from the darkness and be able to sit here, watching his grandson turn seven.

"Hey Sol, why don't you show Zolda some of the flowers you are planning to bring to Magitopia with you," Makito suggested as he lifted his daughter off his lap and carefully set her on her feet. She wobbled for a moment, her legs unsteady as she held onto her father to steady herself, but Sol took her by the hand and guided her outside. Already he was describing the flowers in the old garden.

"I'll go too! Come on Smoky," Madora piped up as he grabbed Smokey's Magic Lamp, dragging the cat outside with him. Smokey complained, a trail of smoke flowing from the lip of the lamp, leaving a trail to the back patio.

"I'll go keep an eye on them," Yuka smiled as she got to her feet, holding her stomach a bit as she kissed Kai on the head before following the children outside. Kai smiled as he watched his wife go, hi face beaming with pride and hope. Eriko sighed as she got to her feet, reading the unsaid emotions in the situation all too well.

"Guess I'll go make coffee for everyone and cut up this cake, I know when I'm not wanted in a conversation," Eriko teased Makito before she disappeared in the kitchen, the sounds of cabinets opening and things moving around promised she wasn't listening. Silence fell over the dining room as the seven of them sat together, a sense of calmness that was both comforting and strange.

"Isn't this nostalgic," Miyuki said gently, smiling as she sat next to her husband, her hand seeking his under the table. He found it and gave her a reassuring squeeze letting her relax as the tension drained. She was worried about her children, as any mother was.

"It's been a long time since we all sat together like this," Urara giggled a bit as she looked at her siblings, the same feeling going through each of them as memories of their youth were silently shared. Each person had a smile on their face except for Houka. It was odd. "What's wrong?"

"Have any of you ever heard of Phantoms," Houka asked her voice quiet and calm, surprising the family more than her words. The Ozu family exchanged a quick glance as they saw that Houka truly was serious about something, looking almost frightened. It was quite rare.

"I can't say I have heard anything in Magitopia," Urara frowned as she looked up at her husband, Hikaru. He leaned back in his chair, draping his arm over the back of his wife's. Eyes closed, he searched his memory for any mention of such things, but came up blank.

"Nor have I. What are they," Hikaru asked, curious as to what it could be. Judging from the seriousness in Houka, it wasn't a good thing. Then again, he didn't know as much about Earth as the rest of his adoptive family did.

"I'm not sure. I was having lunch when a woman called me a 'Gate' and then destroyed the original gift I had for Sol, demanding I to go into despair," Houka explained, gripping her skirt in her hands as she remembered the anger and hatred in the woman's eyes. For the life of her, Houka couldn't' remember ever meeting this woman, so why did she hate Houka so much? "She eventually changed into a snake and attacked me." Silence hung heavy around the table as everyone stared in disbelief.

"Why didn't you call us if a Hades Beast was attacking," Tsubasa demanded, slamming his fist on the table to draw everyone out of their initial shock. "We would have been there in a heartbeat to help you!" Tsubasa glared at Kai, angry at how he had let monsters from Infershia escape and start attacking humans again. The war had been over for a long time but most of the rogue Hades Beasts had been dealt with. Houka shook her head.

"That's just the thing; it wasn't a Hades Beast or something from Infershia. It was something different. Besides, someone was already there, another Magician." Houka explained. Again, her family stared at her in disbelief. This story was too much for even Houka to make up.

"Another Magician," Miyuki repeated, turning to her husband, the unasked question hanging in the air. Isamu was silent as he thought things over, silently placing where all the other Heavenly Saints were besides himself and Hikaru.

"I've never heard of a Phantom either, but I can ask Vancuria and Sphinx when I get back to Infershia," Kai offered, trying to sound optimistic and to clear the name of Infershia. He had been working very hard with the other two to help clear Infershia's name and allow the two factions to live in peace with one another.

"What are you thinking, Blagel," Hikaru asked as he studied Isamu, using the older man's Heavenly Saint name as the matters at hand seemed a bit more serious than Houka was letting on. It always surprised Isamu how quick Hikaru was. Living on Earth for the short time he had had done wonders for it.

"Houka, did this Magician use a Magiphone like you all do or did they shift like Sungel and I," Isamu's voice was calm and calculating as he nodded towards Hikaru, the Heavenly Saint of the Sun, using the other man's Heavenly Saint name to push his point across. Houka sat up a bit straighter as she felt all eyes on her, blushing slightly.

"No, he used rings, like this," Houka answered honestly, holding her hand up, letting the light sparkle off her Oath Ring as she placed it over her belt buckle, mimicking Haruto's transformation. She held her arm out to the side, giggling as she remembered his odd transformation. "He also had a really weird belt."

"A Ring Mage, I don't think I've heard of something like that," Miyuki shook her head as she thought it over. Something in her mind felt familiar about the reference to a belt helping someone transform, but the thought danced right out of reach. "Did he have an elemental Heavenly Saint?" Houka shook her head, thinking of how different Wizard was from the Magirangers.

"No, but a girl said that the Phantoms gave him power, so I assumed they were a bit like our Heavenly Saints of the Elements. The odd thing was that he was able to change elements." Houka frowned as she hung her head, feeling mildly useless and defeated. She just wanted to understand what was going on. She blushed slightly, giggling as her hand touched the phone in her pocket. "He said he would explain things to me on our date later tonight…"

"You asked him on a date?!" Tsubasa exclaimed, staring at his sister in disbelief. The other siblings stared at her as well while her parents could only laugh at their daughter's ability to find the good in any situation. "You can't be serious!" A light flush crept up Houka's cheeks as she tried to look anywhere but at Tsubasa.

"Leave it to our sister to find romance even during dangerous situations," Urara sighed heavily at her older sister, shaking her head to hide her smile. There was no helping Houka with her never ending quest for love.

"You're one to talk, Urara. Didn't you get MARRIED right before we destroyed N Ma," Kai countered, pointing at Urara and Hikaru. Both of them flushed brightly, making it a point to not look at each other. It was true of course, but everyone else had known the two had feelings for each other. Wel, everyone except for Urara and Hikaru, which was why they needed a little bit of help from the rest of the family.

"Well, I remember you trying to impress Yuka while she was being held captive by Meemy," Makito smirked at his youngest brother, patting him on the shoulder. Meemy, a Heavenly Saint who had betrayed Magitopia and fallen to Infershia, had kidnapped Yuka in order for her to become the bride of a Hades Beastman.

"Th-that was different." Kai crossed his arms over his chest, blushing slightly as he looked away, hoping to not be lumped in with his family's bad habit of finding love at the wrong time. Sensing his little brother was in trouble, Tsubasa leaned against the table, pointing at the eldest of the Ozu siblings.

"I remember Eriko telling you she would only go out with you if you made a cactus flower bloom, which ended up trying to eat everyone," Tsubasa teased his older brother, a smirk playing on his lips. Makito's eyes widened as he blushed. The family exchanged a look before bursting into laughter, catching the attention of the children. Sol and Zolda stood in the doorway, peeking in to see if it was safe to come back into the main house yet or not. Smokey and Mandora hovered above the children, peeking in as well.

"What's so funny," Sol asked, stepping in as Eriko entered from the kitchen, a tray full of small plates of cake and cups of coffee in her hands, her years of owning a café coming in handy as she delivered the tray to the table with expert grace. Zolda wobbled her way to her father, holding her arms up to him to be picked up. Giving in, Makito picked up Zolda and set her on his lap.

"Just stories of the past, has your mother ever told you how she and Hikaru met," Houka asked, a glint of mischief sparkling in her eyes as Yuka reclaimed her seat next to Kai after helping Eriko pass out cake and coffee. Urara pointed a fork at her older sister, murder sparking in her eyes.

"Don't you dare," Urara warned, her face turning bright red. She had never considered killing her sister, but there was a first for everything. Isamu leaned against the table, his hands together as he looked over at the others, the merriment blossoming at the table. It had been a very, very long time since the house was so full of love and joy.

"Nyao, I wanna hear it again," Smokey laughed as he hovered to the table, dancing away from Urara as she snatched at him, wanting to silence him. He stuck his tongue out at her as he hid behind Hikaru, his laughter echoing in his little lamp.

"Be careful Houka, you are strong but do not be afraid to ask for help," Isamu said softly as he watched Urara try to attack Smokey, threating him with all kinds of bad things. Sol laughed at his mother, poking fun at her red cheeks.

"I will father," Houka promised, reaching out and touching his shoulder. She knew when to ask for help and that her family would always be there for her, no matter what. Turning her attention back to the birthday boy, Houka giggled with mischief as she decided to tell the tale of how her sister had kissed a frog and it had turned into Hikaru. "Once upon a time, your father was a frog…"

"Houka!" Urara shouted but was ignored as everyone listened to Houka's tale.

-**M**-

Haruto paced the Antique shop as he tried to think of a simple message to send Houka. He didn't understand why it was so difficult; he had sent plenty of messages to other Gates, so this one shouldn't be any different. Still, something held him back. He blamed it on the surprise of finding out she was more than just a Gate.

"Are you still worried about this," Shunpei asked as he finished sweeping the store. It was rare to see Haruto flustered about anything, especially messaging a cute girl. "You're going to wear a path if you keep that up." Haruto stopped his pacing, feeling a bit embarrassed as he looked at the trail he had been on. Sighing he sat back down in the chair, picking out a plain sugar donut from the bag that sat on the tiny coffee table.

"I don't know what to say…" Haruto was frustrated as he set the half eaten donut on top of a napkin on the coffee table, his stomach not feeling up to the sweet sugary goodness from the Happy Donut Shop.

"Stop treating her special; she is just like any other Gate," Koyomi offered as she sat on the couch, enjoying the flower shaped donut with the strawberry filling. She knew Haruto only liked the plain sugar ones, so this was a treat indeed.

"She does have a point, Wizard-kun," Rinko teased, flipping through her small notebook to go over the information she had collected at the station. After making a few phone calls Rinko had found basic information about the Ozu family, but there was nothing in there about Houka being different or a Magician.

"S-stop that! She called you Detective-kun," Haruto countered, his face blushing slightly at the pet name Houka had given him. It made him smile every time he thought of it, but other people calling him by it ruined the specialness of it. Rinko frowned slightly at the name, not offended, just thinking it a bit odd.

"She has an interesting way of napping people," Rinko nodded her head. Over the years she had been referred to as Detective-san but never with 'kun' at the end. The other woman was a strange one that was certainly true.

"Speaking of which, she left this for you," Shunpei handed Rinko the piece of paper with Houka's brother's information on it. Rinko frowned as she read it over before flipping to a different page in her notebook to read about Tsubasa Ozu and his boxing career.

"Eh? Why is she trying to play match maker? She is a strange one," Rinko chuckled to herself as she entered the information into her phone, for research of course. She wondered what kind of person Tsubasa was if he let his sister set him up, then again, he probably didn't know she had done it in the first place.

"You are going to message them?" Haruto blinked, it was unlike Rinko to be so straight forward. He had never seen her mention anything about men or her personal life. It wasn't his place to ask, but not once had he heard even the tiniest mention of a boyfriend or even a personal interest in someone.

"I don't see why I can't. I'm doing this for research on the Gate and speaking with their relatives is a good way together Intel," Rinko giggled as she shot off a message before putting the paper in her pocket and setting the phone on the table. The others stared at her as if she had grown a second head.

"Do you think she is being possessed," Shunpei whispered loudly to Haruto, cowering behind the seated rider. Just to be safe, Haruto switched the ring on his right hand to the Driver On ring, doing his best to hide a smile. It was dangerous to push Rinko's buttons, but it was also very fun.

"Stop that! I am a woman, you know," Rinko pouted at them, snatching the bag of donuts from in front of Haruto and taking one. She bit into, chewing it in a very unladylike fashion as she maintained her glare at the two.

"Scary…" Shunpei and Haruto whispered together, trying to get away from the detective who looked as if she would rather bite their heads off than bite into the donut. Finally her angry bravado faded away.

"Mou…Hurry up and message your Gate so we can make sure she is safe," Rinko gestured at Haruto with her donut, her annoyance simmering underneath the surface, but it had truly subsided. Romance could wait until after the Gate situation was taken care of, either by destroying the Phantom attacking her or destroying the Phantom within the Gate.

"Y-yes ma'ma," Haruto smiled nervously as he fumbled with his phone, sending Houka a quick message, asking her to meet him at a small restaurant later on in the evening. He hit send and almost instantly regretted it as a million other ways he could have worded that message popped into his head at once.

"That really does sound like a date," Shunpei noted as he read the message over Haruto's shoulder. Flushing, Haruto shoved his friend away, blushing brightly. "What? Bistro La Salle is a great little place to eat and talk." Shunpei nodded his head towards Haruto's phone.

"What is with you two today! It's just a date, Gate! I said Gate!" Haruto stood up, pointing from Shunpei to Rinko, the two exchanging a knowing look as they reclined in their chairs, a smug look on both their faces. The Detective raised an eyebrow at Haruto as she finished her donut, licking the sugar off her fingers like a cat that had just gotten a bowl of cream.

"Call it whatever you want, we just need to make sure she doesn't fall into despair and create a Phantom," Koyomi complained frowning up at Haruto. She was getting tired of this silliness and just wanted things to get back to normal. The sooner this was over, the sooner they could focus properly on beating Medusa and Phoenix. The Rider nodded, sitting back down in his chair and calming down.

"You're right. From what Shunpei and I saw when the Gate was attacked, she has very powerful magic," Haruto stared at the bag of donuts, his eyes unfocused as he tried to sort out his thoughts. In truth, he was terrified of Houka going into despair since he wasn't sure he could defeat the Phantom inside her. WizarDragon was a very powerful Phantom, but Haruto didn't know how well he and WizarDragon would match up against Houka's Phantom, whatever it turned out to be. His phone buzzing brought him out of his thoughts.

"Well, what does it say?" Shunpei asked, trying to see around Haruto to get a glimpse at the message, the others in the room leaning forward to hear what Houka had said. Haruto read the message before putting his phone back in his pocket and relaxing in his chair, looking calm as ever.

"It would appear I have a date tonight," Haruto did his best to not smile.

* * *

**Author's Note**: It's adorable! I wanted to show the Ozu family together, being their usual silly self but worrying about Houka at the same time.

In case you are curious, Zolda is a reference to Kamen Rider Ryuki. The symbol on Kamen Ride Zolda's card deck looks a lot like Magi Green's symbol, so I decided to pay tribute to it. Thank you for reading, please review if you don't mind.


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